An (Almost Fall) Update
This post will be a collection of random thoughts and some odds-n-ends, so please bear with me. I haven’t had much time to blog lately. My duties at school have increased as I take on the role of athletic faculty rep (kind of like an assistant Athletic director, only not so). Oh, and did I mention I am getting married on September 29? I am getting very excited about this.
The weather is getting quite a bit cooler, especially in the evenings. I just bought some pumpkin spice coffee at Wal-Mart, and a few Tim Horton’s restaurants have pumpkin spice flavoring…life is good!
I was reading the other day that from October 1-April 15, in regions north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the sun’s energy is not powerful enough to cause our skin to produce Vitamin D. This means that we cannot make this important vitamin (associated with lower rates of cancer and MS) for 5.5 months! I have gotten some good sun this summer (using sun block appropriately too), but I even worry about my stores of this fat soluble chemical. This means right after my wedding I am starting to take about 400 IU/day, building up to about 1000 IU/day during the heart of winter (still less than the 20,000 IU or so your body makes during one brief sun exposure).
Oil prices have hit an all-time high, which means that many Americans, who want their cake (SUVs and lots of driving) and to eat it too (cheap energy prices) will be bi***ing and moaning about high gas prices, while simultaneously doing nothing about it. Of course, some good news is that a study recently showed that as gas prices rise, people get a little thinner. Imagine that…recovering the ancient art of walking.
I also have been playing around with The GIMP, an open source imaging editing software that I have had on my computer for about a year now, but finally began exploring. The images here were taken by me, but modified using GIMP.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:41 am
The 29th! That’s when we’re moving! D’oh!
I like your Gimp work. I was getting pretty decent in Photoshop during my college days, but haven’t had the software in years now, and I’ve been mostly impressed with The Gimp. I did all of Dave Armstrong’s recent self-published book covers in The Gimp.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:42 am
And on gas, I’ve been taking the bus to work lately. Only $32 bucks a month for unlimited rides!
September 13th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Chad,
I remember really liking the covers you designed for Dave. You did those with GIMP, huh? That is a testament to the software. I have read that the software is pretty powerful, but not as user friendly as Photoshop. But for hundreds less, I can handle it. I am still looking for a decent open source video editing software though.
Good for you on taking the bus. My town is too small for a bus, but I have a 1 minute drive to work. Once I get a house and garage, I may get a bike and ride it to work.